Tom Brandau

Tom Brandau was a graduate of The American Film Institute (Directing Fellow) and held an MFA in Theatre from Towson University in Baltimore. He won numerous awards as an independent filmmaker including a Regional Student Academy Award for his documentary Whales, Ltd. Tom had over 25 years of experience as a commercial writer, producer, director, and professor in Baltimore. His dramatic short Sonny and Cornblatt won several awards, including The Retirement Research National Media Award, The Barry Levinson Arts Award, the Rosebud Award, and a national Telly Award. In 2003 Tom wrote, produced and directed award-winning Cold Harbor, a dramatic feature film about four brothers coming to terms with the suicide of their estranged father. Since moving to Moorhead MN, recent films by Brandau which had heavy festival distribution include Heavenly Sight, a short drama that deals with a young boy's first experience with death; the documentary short Mr. Brown, which took top honors in the Minnesota Historical Society's 2008 "Moving Pictures" competition; The Cleaning Lady, a short drama which deals with the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King; and Home Delivery, a short drama focusing on the relationship between two paper boys working in the same newly integrated Baltimore neighborhood. His last project, Sadie Breaks the Silents, explores a woman's attempt to rise in the ranks of the silent film industry. Tom was a member of the Fargo Theater Board, a committee member of the Fargo Film Festival for nine years, and Co-chair of the Festival for three years. Tom was Professor Emeritus of Film Production at Minnesota State University Moorhead where he taught for fifteen years. While there he not only taught but engaged students in many initiatives such as filming the Moorhead Public Access TV show "Under Exposures" which featured student productions, hosting Alumni Summits, encouraging study abroad to the Lincoln University School of Media in England and on the Eurospring program (which he led), creating service-learning coursework, advising the Cinethusiasts student organization, and hiring students as crew and cast members on his productions. He continued to actively support and connect with his former students who work in the industry and create art around the world. Tom lived in Moorhead with his wife and creative partner Janet Brandau, their non-ironically-named cats Noir and Orson, and his perfect stepchildren Kate and Daniel Aarness. He passed away after a valiant battle with incurable cancer.